4ti‘tudes? What kind of word derivative is that? Another clever cliché attempt? Perhaps yes! Years and years ago I was encouraged that, “Your altitude will be determined by your attitude.” Great wisdom! Hard to refute, and certainly has been a formative success formula in my life.

As life has taken on different seasons and chapters, I’d like to add some additional ‘tudes” to the linear equation.

Solitude>Gratitude>Attitude>Altitude. Hence, 4ti’tudes (corny maybe, memorable, yes!).

I don’t know about you but I’ve found I don’t have an attitude switch; something I can flip on and off. Sometimes I just wake up with a bad attitude. I wish there was a switch that I could flip and suddenly convert to Sammy Sunshine, but I have yet to find it.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that getting quiet, getting off the grid, and experiencing solitude has been a much bigger lever to impact my attitude. Furthermore, solitude creates space to put things in perspective, seek wisdom and guidance and allow another critical 4ti‘tude to ruminate in my soul. That dynamic ‘tude is of course gratitude, the ultimate source of joy.

More on these 4ti‘tudes to come.